Deep Shock (2019)
Director Davide Melini (Trainee Assistant Director Dario Argento’s Mother of Tears, The Third Mother, Penny Dreadful, Into the Badlands) is back with another short film Deep Shock.
You can read my reviews for some of his other shorts Lion (2017), and The Puzzle (2008) and The Sweet Hand of the White Rose (2010) by clicking on the links.
Wanting to pay tribute to classic Italian Giallo films from Dario Argento and Mario Bava, the title for this borrows from two of their most famous films Deep Red and Shock.
So Sarah can’t sleep at night, haunted by nightmares caused from the recent deaths of her Grandfather and older sister but is their something more happening?
I won’t say too much about the plot as it is only 30 minutes long and might give too much away but the influences mentioned before are definitely there.
The camera almost stalking Sarah in suitably slow shots as she carefully navigates her house at night, as if being watched by whatever is there or the tight close up shots of leather gloved wrong ‘uns hands as they get up to not quite so Christian activities or the rather inventive placement of the camera for the more graphic and well executed violent scenes.
Violence very effectively shown.
The music whilst good overall does in places lack the impact it needs and can be too far in the background but does fit what you expect for a Giallo film, at least to my ears.
The acting as well is good but maybe a couple of shots could have had a second take.
I liked the characters and Sarah is one you will want to survive. I do miss good lingering shots, leather gloved baddies and a final girl I want to live in films so in that way this does take me back to better horror movie times.
Watch it now on Amazon Prime. Only 30 minutes long and despite some flaws I really enjoyed this.
Further information for the short film.
Produced by Luca Vannella (“Avengers”, “Thor”, “Harry Potter”, “Apocalypto”, “Heart of the Sea”), Alexis Continente (“Murder on the Orient Express”, “Transformers: The Last Knight”, “Thor”), Vincenzo Mastrantonio (“Titanic”, “Moulin Rouge”, “The Passion of Christ”, “Romeo + Juliet”), Bobby Holland Hanton (“The Dark Knight Rises”, “Game of Thrones”, “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows”, “007 – Quantum of Solace”), Ferdinando Merolla (“Troy”, “Gangs of New York”, “Hannibal Rising”), Roberto Paglialunga (“To Rome with Love”), Fabel Aguilera (“The sweet hand of the White Rose”, “Lion”)
Written & Directed by Davide Melini
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2019 – “Festival de Cine de Marbella” (Marbella, Spain): Best Short Film.
2019 – “IndieX Film Fest” (Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Short of the Fest, Best Horror, Best Producer, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Special Makeup.
2019 – “Southern Shorts Awards” (Roswell, Georgia, United States): Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Special Makeup, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Sound Design.
2019 – “Underground Cinema Film Festival” (Dublin, Ireland): Official Selection.
2019 – “Direct Monthly Online Film Festival” (Detroit, Michigan, United States): Best Screenplay.
2019 – “12 Month Film Festival” (Cluj-Napoca, Romania): Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Sound Design.
2019 – “Independent Shorts Awards” (Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Horror, Best Mystery, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Supporting Actor (George Bracebridge), Best Acting Ensemble, Best Special FX, Best Visual FX, Best Sound Design.
2019 – “Festival of Fear International Film Festival” (Edmond, Canada): Best Foreign Short.
2019 – “Indie Short Fest” (Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Horror, Best Supporting Actor (George Bracebridge), Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Editing.
2019 – “Florence Film Awards” (Florence, Italy): Best Director, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Original Score of the Year.
2019 – “Filmeraa International Film and Web Series Festival” (New Delhi, India): Best Short, Best Production, Best Actress (Muireann Bird).
2020 – “Queen Palm International Film Festival” (Palm Springs, California, United States): Best Mystery/Thriller Short, Best Supporting Actor (George Bracebridge).
2020 – “Independent Horror Movie Awards” (Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Short, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Cinematography, Best Special Effects, Best Music, Best Gore, Best Scare, Best Kill, Best Nudity.
2020 – “Vegas Movie Awards” (Las Vegas, Nevada, United States): Best Thriller, Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Actor (Francesc Pagés), Best Supporting Actor (George Bracebridge), Best Supporting Actress (Lorna Larkin), Best Acting Duo (Erica Prior, Luis Fernández de Eribe), Best Editing, Best Original Score.
2020 – “Barcelona Planet Film Festival” (Barcelona, Spain): Best Director.
2020 – “Prague International Monthly Film Festival” (Prague, Czech Republic): Best Director, Best Actress (Muireann Bird).
2020 – “Bridge Fest” (Vancouver, Canada): 2nd Best Film.
2020 – “Monsterflix Awards” (London, United Kingdom): Best Editing.
2020 – “New York Movie Awards” (New York, United States): Best Thriller, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Francesc Pagés), Best Original Score.
2020 – “Halicarnassus Film Festival” (Bodrum, Muğla, Turkey): Best Horror/Mystery/Crime.
2020 – “Hollywood Gold Awards” (Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Horror, Best Original Score.
2020 – “Mont Blanc International Movie Fest” (Paris, France): Best Short Film, Best Director.
2020 – “The Yellow Fever Independent Film Festival” (Bangor, County Down, Ireland): Best Horror.
2020 – “Accord Cine Fest” (Mumbai, India): Best Thriller, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress (Lorna Larkin).
2020 – “Tagore International Film Festival” (Mumbai, India): Best Horror, Best Director, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Actor (Francesc Pagés), Best Supporting Actor (George Bracebridge), Best Supporting Actress (Lorna Larkin).
2020 – “Indie Shorts Film Festival” (Orlando, Florida, United States): Best Short Film of the Month, Best Horror, Best Director, Best Actor (George Bracebridge), Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematographer, Best Set Design, Best Makeup, Best Editing, Best VFX, Best Sound.
2020 – “London-X4 Seasonal Short Film Festival” (London, United Kingdom): Special Mention.
2020 – “Screen Power Film Festival” (London, England): Best Horror.
2020 – “Diabolical Horror Film Festival” (San Francisco, California, United States): Best Special Effects.
2020 – “The Horror Movie Awards” (Seattle, Washington, United States): Best Film.
2020 – “Festigious International Film Festival” (Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Picture, Best Thriller, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Trailer.
2020 – “Los Angeles Motion Picture Festival” (Malibú, Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Horror, Best Director, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Actor (Francesc Pagés), Best Writer.
2020 – “Košice International Monthly Film Festival” (Košice, Slovakia): Best Thriller, Best Editing.
2020 – “FilmCon Awards” (Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Picture, Best Thriller, Best Director, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Trailer.
2021 – “BIMIFF – Brazil International Monthly Film Festival” (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): Best Supporting Actor (George Bracebridge), Best Editing.
2021 – “Hollywood Blood Horror Festival” (Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Thriller, Best Producers, Best Director, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Actor (Francesc Pagés), Best Supporting Actor (George Bracebridge), Best Supporting Actress (Lorna Larkin), Best Acting Ensemble, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Special Makeup, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Editing, Best VFX, Best Original Score, Best Sound Design, Best Original Screenplay.
2021 – “Foreman Empire Productions International Film Festival” (Atlanta, Georgia, United States): Best Short Picture, Best International Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design.
2021 – “Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards” (Los Angeles, California, United States): Best Thriller, Best Director.
2021 – “New Jersey Film Awards” (Trenton, New Jersey, United States): Best Horror.
2021 – “Red Movie Awards” (Reims, France): Best Supporting Actress (Lorna Larkin).
2021 – “New York Film Awards” (New York, United States): Best Thriller, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Ensemble.
2021 – “Paris Film Festival” (Paris, France): Best Thriller, Best Actress (Muireann Bird), Best Sound Design.
2021 – “Milan Gold Awards” (Milan, Italy): Best Producers, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound Design, Best Original Screenplay.
2021 – “Monza Film Fest” (Monza, Italy): Honorable Mention.
